Ethics

06.19.11

Justice Thomas Took Gifts From Magnate

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

The friendship between Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and real estate magnate Harlan Crow is putting court ethics in the spotlight. Crow, turns out, has allegedly done Thomas a lot of favors. According to a report in The New York Times, Crow helped finance a Savannah library project dedicated to Thomas, gave Thomas a $15,000 bust of Lincoln, and gave Virginia Thomas $500,000 to start a Tea Party-related group that opposed President Obama's health care overhaul. Many of these gifts, as well as vacations on Crow's yachts and jets, were not disclosed, as all federal officials are required to do. As for what Crow might get in return for his generosity, the magnate hasn't personally been party to Supreme Court litigation, but some of his companies have been involved in federal cases.